Cellular shades have become a popular type of window covering in residential and commercial applications. The shades are aesthetically attractive and also provide improved insulation across a window or other type of opening due to their cellular construction. Cellular shades have assumed various forms, including a plurality of longitudinally extending tubes made of a flexible or semi-rigid material. Cellular shades can, for instance, be mounted at the top of a door or window for extending across an architectural opening. When the shade is in an expanded state, the tubes cover the opening. The shade can be retracted or drawn into a contracted state wherein the tubes collapse into a stack. When viewed from the front (i.e., interior of a room) this stack may have an appearance similar to stacked slats of a Venetian blind. Typically, the width of the stack is half of the overall perimeter of the cell and projects from the glass side to the room side since the cords are normally disposed through the connecting point between each cell.
In the past, individual cells in a cellular shade have been constructed using various techniques and methods. The construction of cellular shades, for instance, is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,767,615; 4,861,404; 4,677,012; 5,701,940; 5,691,031; 4,603,072; 4,732,630; 4,388,354; 5,228,936; 5,339,882; 6,068,039; 6,033,504; and 5,753,338, which are all incorporated herein by reference.
For example, in one embodiment, a cellular shade is produced from two sheets of material which are pleated and then glued at the apex of the folds to form the cells. In an alternative embodiment, cellular shades can be produced by joining together multiple flat sheets of material along alternating glue lines between each flat sheet. In still another embodiment, a cellular shade can be produced by attaching a series of slats between two spaced apart sheets of material.
In another embodiment, a cellular shade can be produced in which each cell has a front section and a rear section. The sections are configured to form a V-shape or a C-shape and are positioned so that the free edges are opposite one another. A section of swirled strands is connected between one free edge of the front section and one free edge of the rear section. If desired, a second section of swirled strands can be connected between the second edge of the front section and the second edge of the rear section to form a closed cell. The cells are connected to one another by a pair of glue beads adjacent or on top of the section of swirled strands.
The present disclosure is directed to further improvements in cellular shades. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to an improved cell structure and method for constructing a cellular shade.